The present invention relates generally to the manufacture of tubular-knitted articles, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for forming a closed end in a tubular-knitted article.
In the production of circular-knit hosiery, one end of a knitted-tubular fabric is closed to form the toe. Traditional methods for closing the end of a tubular fabric include difficult and expensive looming operations or seaming operations. These operations are usually performed separately from the knitting operations, are relatively costly, and result in lower productivity.
Another method which has been tried in the past is to close the end of the tubular fabric while it is on a circular-knitting machine. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,090, describes a method for forming an end closure in a tubular-knitted article in which a portion of the knitted tube is gathered into a generally solid, compact mass and then severed with a heated tool. The heated tool also fuses the yarns at the end of the severed segment to form a closed end. Additional examples of prior art machines which attempt to close the end of the tubular fabric while it is on a circular-knitting machine are shown in the patents to Currier, U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,707; and Colton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,402. None of these methods have been reliable in forming a closed end in the tubular-knitted article.